The present invention relates to the field of storm covers and, more particularly, to storm covers mounted directly onto an exterior glass surface such as a glass window or glass door for protecting the glass from impact by wind driven objects.
Severe storms such as hurricanes cause significant economic damage in the United States every year. The high winds which accompany such storms are known to pick up loose objects and turn them into wind driven projectiles. Wind driven objects and other debris account for much of the damage related to broken exterior glass in buildings in the storm""s path. Property owners commonly board up their glass windows and doors with plywood as protection against wind driven flying debris. More sophisticated protection for glass windows and doors includes removable or permanently installed metal shutters. Metal shutters are available as fold-down awnings, accordion type shutters which roll across windows or doors, roll-down flexible metal screens, and removable panels which may be put up before the storm and taken down afterwards for storage.
All these systems have their own advantages and disadvantages. Metal shutters, of course, are expensive and require professional, custom installation. Metal shutters may require appropriate periodic maintenance to ensure smooth functioning and adequate closing. Plywood is less expensive than metal shutters, however, it is well known that a storm-panicked public will exhaust local supplies of plywood in the final days before arrival of the storm. Long lines of anxious and often angry people tend to form at local lumber supply houses while the storm approaches. When available, plywood shutters may be configured for repeated use by being provided with appropriately spaced holes so that they may be screwed into window frames, door frames and the like. Such preparation is time-consuming, requires at least some minimal expertise and tools, and requires that some damage be done to the building by drilling or nailing into the window and door frames.
With the foregoing in mind, the present invention advantageously provides a storm cover for substantially protecting exterior glass from impact by wind driven objects. The storm cover is effective, inexpensive, reusable, and requires little expertise for positioning on glass windows and glass doors. The storm cover may be positioned quickly, and without causing damage to the frame surrounding the glass window or door. In addition, glass windows and doors of any size and shape may be protected against impact by use of the appropriately sized present storm cover.
The storm cover includes a substantially resiliently rigid protective storm panel for positioning over the glass, and a shock absorbing connector for connecting the protective panel to the glass so as to hold the panel in position for protecting the glass window or door. The protective storm panel is preferably positioned so as to cover the glass, and is spaced apart therefrom. Unlike previously known storm covers, the storm cover of the present invention is directly connected to the glass and does not require connection to the frame of the window or door. The resiliently rigid protective storm panel preferably comprises a wood or wood product material, such as plywood. The panel may also be made of a resilient, yet rigid plastic such as Plexiglas(copyright), Lucite(copyright), or Lexan(copyright) to thereby allow viewing through the glass door or window.
The present invention advantageously also includes a connector for connecting the resiliently rigid protective storm panel to glass in a door or window. The connector includes a shock absorbing connector member for connecting to the glass, and a fastener positioned on the connector member for fastening the connector to the storm cover.